The president, who is set to deliver a major speech on the economy on Wednesday at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., previewed his message for the crowd.

“Here’s the thing: It’ll be a pretty good speech,” Obama said. But, he said, the agenda he’s set to lay out will only succeed if grassroots volunteers are able to help translate his words into action.

“That’s where all of you come in,” Obama said. “How are we going to make sure we’re engaging all the people that we touch in this central question of creating and building a rising, thriving, active, growing middle class?”

In a bid to jump-start the stalled congressional process over gun control, energy and immigration reform, the nonprofit OFA is planning to dedicate August to a grassroots lobbying and advocacy effort.

“In some ways, what we’ve done is clear away the rubble of this incredible crisis that we went through. Now the challenge is to get back to that first order of business,” Obama said. “We’ve gotten back on level ground, but now we’ve got to keep climbing.”

The president pointed to lingering unemployment, income inequality and other issues of concern to ordinary Americans — but also defended his record.

“We have made enormous progress over the last five years,” he said. “Things have changed for the better.”